Local Distilleries near Harker Heights, TX (7)

Fire Oak Distillery is a "cozy rustic tasting room and distillery in the rolling hills north of Liberty Hill". Their Fire Oak Texas Bourbon Whiskey has an "amber color". It has "aromas of panettone, apricot jam, funnel cake, and yuzu". It also has "a velvety, vibrant, dry-yet-fruity medium body and a warming, complex, medium-length caramel corn, licorice, macadamia nut flavored white chocolate mousse, and forest berries and rhubarb finish". Their Fire Oak Vodka "is good! Mixed or straight out of the bottle, it has a clean smooth taste". Both spirits already won many awards. You may contact them through their social media pages. When "you have the opportunity to enjoy a spirit crafted by this operation, you are in for a treat".

Sangiovanni Distillery is a "Great Local Texas Distillery" that produces ATX Vodka which is locally made in small batches from a private spring water source in Austin, Texas with a hint of sweetness from the corn that it's made from. ATX Vodka is "a smooth and sophisticated flavor that" you will "really" enjoy. "It's well worth a try ... and a few more after that". A "super-smooth vodka, especially chilled over ice". The "owners take true pride in their product to make sure it is the absolute best vodka available!!" They also have recipes available on their website which you can try if you want to drink different cocktails.

Spirit of Texas is one of the oldest operating distilleries in Texas. They have "a nice small bar area and then a large lounging area with several tables and couches". The "nice drinking room with very comfortable seating added a really nice touch" to the place. They produced Pfluger Single Malt Whiskey, Pecan Street Rum, and Straight Silver Rum. These are available in different liquor stores, restaurants, lounges, nightclubs, and bars throughout the state. Their Pecan Street Rum is the only rum in America that is oak-aged with Texas pecans. Their PFLUGER Single Malt Whiskey already won several gold medals. "A must try."

Established in 2008, Balcones Distilling is only the second Texas distillery to get its distiller’s permit but it beat out the competition when it released Baby Blue corn whisky to the market in 2009. Dubbed “the original Texas whisky”, Baby Blue's market debut achieved historic firsts. It marked “the first time Texans could buy a bottle of Texas made whisky”.  Balcones Distilling made history again in December 2012 when Balcone's Distilling's "1" Single Malt beat out whiskies from more established Scotch houses in London’s Best in Glass competition. Dubbed “The Judgement of London”, the win “helped legitimize American craft distilleries… and signaled the emergence of Texas as a whiskey-producing region”. The distillery produces three lines. Their Classics are year-round whiskies available at distributors. Also, the Annual Releases are “released only once throughout the calendar year”. Finally, their Special Releases are “extremely limited” whiskies including some that "may never be re-released". As a testament to their commitment to quality, the "1" Single Malt still continues to win awards to this day!

Lawrence Sasso, founder of Austonian Spirits, took advantage of his engineer’s background and found a way to create excellent Texas whiskey without using traditional oak barrels. He guards his secret process closely, and it makes Austonian Spirits the first company to bottle a sustainably matured whiskey. His process uses significantly less wood, and “reinvent(s) conventional barrel aging”. Most whiskey fans know about the damaging effects the whiskey industry brings because of the demand for oak barrels. The mission “to (create) an excellent tasting, and sustainably matured whiskey” drives Sasso and the Austonian team. The team must be doing the right things. Austonian Spirits has won top awards in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Texas Whiskey Festival. In 2017, it also took home a Best in Class Award in the Whiskies of the World competition.

Banner Distilling Company founders Logan Simpson and Anthony Jimenez had a dream of putting up their own distillery. Simpson has a Ph.D. in Chemistry, while Jimenez has a family history of bootlegging during Prohibition. Both were engineers at the same company and one day decided they had enough. With a budget of just $45,000, they established Banner Distilling in 2012. Using Craigslist, Google, and lots of resourcefulness, they designed and created their own still for just $300. Meanwhile, they kept their day jobs and toiled on their distillery nights and on weekends. They released Banner Organic Vodka in 2014 ahead of their preferred whiskey products so that that it could generate enough income while the whiskeys aged. The vodka went on to win multiple awards. The following year, they released their first bottles of Banner Wheat Whiskey, which also won accolades in different competitions. Cheers to bootstrapping!

Tequila Fire's tequila is "made from 100% agave grown in Jalisco", Mexico distillery. It is "bottled unaged straight off the still". Their Cat Tequila Silver "presents with a mouthwatering burst of lime and tropical fruits". It then takes "an earthy, mushroomy turn with a dark chocolate note". You will notice "the finish is surprisingly soft, fluffy and fresh, like a Persian cat". Try their other products including Cat Tequila Silver, Cat Mezcal and Cat Mezcal Añejo. You can find their tequilas at several liquor stores in Austin and San Antonio, Texas. Check out their website and use their store locator so you can find the nearest store for you. You can also check the link on their social media page when you want to buy their products online.